If the PS3 is $400 is MS screwed?

[Spaceman_Spiff]

Sony "franchises" are hardly that impressive...yeah there have been some good games but most of what people are listing have been 1 game, not long running franchises. What about Too Human, Lost Planet, and Gears of War? Look at the games people are listing to defend ps3- xenosage? armored core? spyro? are you guys joking? Its funny cause everyone got all worked up 12 months ago over a techdemo of killzone. KILLZONE. that game has never sold a single system, end of discussion.

Also, the fact that the controllers are bluetooth means nothing except more cost for the consumer and decreased range (not that that matters cause its still enough, but its still a fact nevertheless). The xbox's rf method is more than adequate.

This post actually made me laugh, since the op seemed to assume we were all sony !!!!!!!!s. Am i biased towards ms over sony? I wasnt a year ago, but i am right now since im loving my 360 and have yet to see anything out of sony. I plan to buy a ps3 at launch even if it costs $800 but im not dumping my 360.

 

[synergyo1]

Japan overestimated? FF7 not greatly enjoyed? Are you kidding me?

Japan is the second-largest gaming market. No way a company wins the console wars without dominance in the Japanese market. Then you bring up China and Korea? Now those are two markets that certainly don't matter due to the fact that most of the people don't have the money to spend on consoles that cost hundreds of dollars, let alone the games.

FF7 is considered the best of the FF series, and it played a huge role in the Playstation's destruction of the N64 due to the fact that it was exclusive to the former.

Koreans are more into PC gaming than consoles.

I'll say this. Right now I am giving a pass on this generations consoles, although I **might** consider purchasing a Wii. But if Square-Enix releases a remake for FF7 for the PS3 or any other console, I will immediately open my wallet and purchase that system.

 

[Skirrow]

A price drop within a year of launch? Highly unlikely; didn't the first Xbox take at least 2 years before the price dropped? MS has a pretty solid user base right now and they've got their exclusives, so I don't think they have too much to worry about.

Er. No. It took 3 months. They dropped the Xbox £100 a couple of months in the UK after launch. I remember because i got 2 free games and an extra pad from MS to make up for it.

 

[Lord Nassirbannipal]

Sony "franchises" are hardly that impressive...yeah there have been some good games but most of what people are listing have been 1 game, not long running franchises. What about Too Human, Lost Planet, and Gears of War? Look at the games people are listing to defend ps3- xenosage? armored core? spyro? are you guys joking? Its funny cause everyone got all worked up 12 months ago over a techdemo of killzone. KILLZONE. that game has never sold a single system, end of discussion.

He said to name non 1st party franchises other than Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, and Devil May Cry, so I did.

Furthermore, most of the games I listed ARE long-running franchises.

Dynasty Warriors
Spyro
Ratchet
Suikoden
Wild Arms
Armored Core
Wild Arms
Jak and Daxter
Tekken
Ace Combat
Dragon Quest
Resident Evil
Tomb Raider
Xenosaga
Tenchu

All of those franchises have atleast 3 titles. As to whether or not they're impressive, I think that the sales figures speak for themselves.

 

[Skirrow]

He said to name non 1st party franchises other than Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, and Devil May Cry, so I did.

Furthermore, most of the games I listed ARE long-running franchises.

Dynasty Warriors
Spyro
Ratchet
Suikoden
Wild Arms
Armored Core
Wild Arms
Jak and Daxter
Tekken
Ace Combat
Dragon Quest
Resident Evil
Tomb Raider
Xenosaga
Tenchu

All of those franchises have atleast 3 titles. As to whether or not they're impressive, I think that the sales figures speak for themselves.

Dynasty Warriors, Armoured Core, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider and Tenchu have all been announced on 360.

Infact Tomb Raider is all ready out. Admittedly Resident Evil is a grey area at the moment since there are rumours it was put on hold. But the rest are on track for release soon

 

[RanceJustice]

I go where the Japanese titles go, in respect to consoles. I want RPGs with angsty, androgenously beautiful heros who speak in lots of ellipses! I want off the wall, crazily fun games in the vein of "Ouendan" and Katamari! I want a system with disturbingly cute games that my girlfriend will love! I want music games that can cause me to break a sweat, if I'm so inclined! And yes, I want to be there when some publisher releases "Love love magic tapioca sakura heart of major", which just happens to be a giant robot game.

So as of right now, my faith is located massively in the Wii, and to a lesser extent the PS3

 

[Lord Nassirbannipal]

Dynasty Warriors, Armoured Core, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider and Tenchu have all been announced on 360.

Infact Tomb Raider is all ready out. Admittedly Resident Evil is a grey area at the moment since there are rumours it was put on hold. But the rest are on track for release soon

True, but those names are more synonomous with the Playstation brand than they are with the Xbox, and as I said, the Xbox 360 still has to compete with the PS2, which more people have. So you see, even when a game is released for both systems, Sony comes out on top.

That being said, Sony still has Microsoft clearly beaten as far as third-party support and popular franchises go.

 

[heatsinker]

Er. No. It took 3 months. They dropped the Xbox £100 a couple of months in the UK after launch. I remember because i got 2 free games and an extra pad from MS to make up for it.

Actually after a little bit more reading, it took about 6 months for a price drop in the US market; perhaps due to the fact that the PS2 and Gamecube were dropping prices as well, but that's all speculation. I suppose it may very well be possible that the X360 will get a price drop.

 

[DubOSv10]

Well this is more due to Next-Generation hype than anything else.

The issue isn't rather "you" love "your" XBOX 360, although it is always nice when people feel that a global argument somehow centers around them and their love for a particular console. So lets look at why the original XBOX did pretty well in sales.

1) Greater Hardware = Greater Ports: Basically with the extra year Sony afforded Microsoft, they were able to put out a system with superior hardware specifications and performance. This in turn meant that the majority of ports performed and looked better on the XBOX. Also of interests, the XBOX received exclusive titles simply because of its superior hardware. Anyone heard of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (1 and 2) or Jade Empire? Two of the biggest sellers for the XBOX, exclusive to the XBOX not because Bioware loves Microsoft, simply because the XBOX could handle what Bioware wanted to achieve in those titles.

2) Halo - Halo seemed to be one of the first Console FPS that performed similarly to a PC FPS. Enough Said.

3) XBOX Live.


Now, I believe that point 1 is now scratched because the Playstation 3 will either turn the tide or at least perform on par with the 360 (this is something I think we all agree on). This poses a problem for MS because when EA releases Madden '07-'12, users will see a performance increase with their PS3 or at least performance on par with the 360. Now why would those who want Final Fantasy, God of War, Metal Gear Solid, etc choose the 360...See it used to be that you could say "well, Gears of War, Lost Planet, Jade Empire 2, etc" but lets be honest, developers aren't going to limit their development to the 360, that would mean limiting sells...it's much more feasible for developers to limit a series to the Playstation do to the established userbase. You can also say "well XBOX live"...that might be a valid point but we'll have to wait and see. One thing MS is doing is alienating their gamers with titles such as Oblivion and GRAW, the only thing saving them is the fact that most gamers do not have high-end PCs to play those games on, or else the $50 price tag and mod community would overtake the $60 price tag and paid downloads. If Sony is able to have a decent online service with free downloadible content...prsshhh.

Halo is Halo, but if Kill-Zone looks near to what that trailer suggested, we will see it add to the list of exclusive killer titles for the PS3. Lets be honest, the gaming world is superficial and Sony is hoping to appeal to that.

I do own a 360 and I find games like GRAW and Oblivion to be interesting time consumers. But would GRAW be 360 exclusive if the PS3 were out? Similarly, quite a few of the launch titles for the 360 offered little jump from what is considered "current-gen". If you look at the titles the PS3 has announced a great deal of them look solid. I remember last year when the 360 was announced the titles seemed mediocre, and that's about what they have turned out to be (with the exception of GRAW and Oblivion pretty much). It's looking like Sonys launch lineup will be on par with Microsofts holiday lineup (unless MS can pull a GTA, GT3, MGS2, etc type trick).

But I'll be at my local EB the moment they start taking pre-orders for both the PS3 and Wii...I guess I'll enjoy them all...Now for an HDTV.

 

[Lord Nassirbannipal]

Hardware has little to do with anything.

The PS2 had the weakest hardware of the last-generation consoles, and we all know how that one turned out.

But I definitely agree that the PS3 will have a better launch line-up that will be able to compete with Microsoft's holiday line-up. Even if like titles come out for both systems, the PS3 versions will sell more simply because it's got a larger fan base.

 

[Banko]

your logic is flawed im sure if MS had more 360's on the shelf more would of sold. as soon as stores get them there gone. im glad you think the ps3 will own so much when much hasnt be seen of the ps3 in action.

MS problem was they should of not done a world wide launch.

i beleive the only reason there is a core and premium system is that they didnt have enough harddrives. im sure the core sysytem will go bye bye.

I work at Circuit City and we've been getting shipments in weekly. We have around 5 premiums and 10 cores that people haven't touched for around a month..

 

[Nuzzles]

I don't think they will be (MS screwed, that is)

 

[DubOSv10]

Hardware has little to do with anything.

The PS2 had the weakest hardware of the last-generation consoles, and we all know how that one turned out.

But I definitely agree that the PS3 will have a better launch line-up that will be able to compete with Microsoft's holiday line-up. Even if like titles come out for both systems, the PS3 versions will sell more simply because it's got a larger fan base.

Hardware has a lot to do with WHY MS established the userbase they did...Gaming is superficial, lets just be honest about it. A lot of people would choose Madden on XBOX over Madden on PS2...That is one of the reasons MS established a userbase...superior Ports. MS was never going to beat the PS2, but my point was that MS was able to make a dent because of certain aspects. And Hardware superiority was one of them.

 

[DubOSv10]

I work at Circuit City and we've been getting shipments in weekly. We have around 5 premiums and 10 cores that people haven't touched for around a month..

Right, and one thing you figure is that the 360 was so in demand because of the "next-generation now" hype. When the PS2 launched, it was sort of the same, but at the same time people WANTED a Playstation 2 because the Playstation was awesome. 360 was more dependant on "ooo, look at this next generation console...be the first on your block to have one". Now people are starting to have options. Post-E3 might be especially difficult as sony and Nintendo will have playables...Oooo weee...

 

[Lord Nassirbannipal]

Hardware has a lot to do with WHY MS established the userbase they did...Gaming is superficial, lets just be honest about it. A lot of people would choose Madden on XBOX over Madden on PS2...That is one of the reasons MS established a userbase...superior Ports. MS was never going to beat the PS2, but my point was that MS was able to make a dent because of certain aspects. And Hardware superiority was one of them.

No, it doesn't.

MS's user base has more to do with its online service, and Halo.

Let's face it, if not for Halo, it wouldn't have half its user base.

Hardware may mean more to people like us who understand it, but the average gamer doesn't understand or care what's under the hood, as long as it's got the games they want.

 

[Xipher]

I am not really taking sides on this debate, but for those pulling out Final Fantasy in putting the PS3 ahead, don't forget
http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product_id=200154

 

[DarkLegacy]

You will defitnly have to get both systems to get the best the gen has to offer. Xbox will have a ton of exclusives this time around. They have 4 Studios that I know are only publishing games for there console. That being Bungie, Tecmo, Rare & Lionhead. This is some great developer talent in MS's camp. There Japanese Developer support has greatly increased seeing how many titles are coming to the 360 down the road. It is also a console that will attract both the casual gamer & the retro gamer with there Xbox Live Arcade selection of titles. Plenty of big name Arcade Classics coming very soon. There heading in the right direction.

On the PS end, it will probally end up being more of the same that has kept them on the top. A newer media type & an online service seem to be the standout features for them,. A plentyful supply of Japanese ports & multiplatform titles will be the same. There grip on certain developers will decrease. SE being the big one so it will be intresting to see what titles the Xbox 360 & Nintendo Wii end up with. If your into the whole RPG thing, then it will probally be your system of choice. They have taken a page out of the MS strategy & have been getting there fair share of FPS'ers as well. Just like how MS has taken a page from Sony & starting to get a lot of RPG games. Sony RPG's havn't been all that great as of late however. SE ones remain good, but other ones have not. Oblivion alone has already outsold many of them, just like how Fable & KOTOR I/II did before it. So MS deifntly got some gooed games going in that department.

I wouldn't choose a side. I still get both, but I am sure to be much more impressed with the Xbox 360. MS has learned quickly & alot with there original console & have taken a strong approach with there current system. Making it developer friendly & an ease to work with should attract a ton of attention from developers. Something that can play in therefavor in the long run. The PS3 will be good, but I also expect more of the same from them. I'll still consider the PS1 there best system most likly. As good as the PS2 was, there was no standout titles like what the PS1 had. Gods of War, the Devil May Cry series, that was good & all, but I had a much better time play games like Parasite Eve & Final Fantasy Tactics.

-LatinLegacy

 

[DubOSv10]

I am not really taking sides on this debate, but for those pulling out Final Fantasy in putting the PS3 ahead, don't forget
http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product_id=200154

I addressed this in another thread...How nice of MS and Square to release FFXI two years later with no notable upgrades...AWESOME! If they announced a spectacular showing of Final Fantasy XII well then I'll be impressed with Square/Enix developing for the 360...So far I've seen Project Slyph .

No, it doesn't.

MS's user base has more to do with its online service, and Halo.

Let's face it, if not for Halo, it wouldn't have half its user base.

Hardware may mean more to people like us who understand it, but the average gamer doesn't understand or care what's under the hood, as long as it's got the games they want.

I mean you can say it doesn't...but games such as KOTOR, Jade Empire, Ninja Gaiden and DOA seem to paint a different picture. I'm not saying that Halo and Live didn't contribute to the success (I guess) of the XBOX, I have addressed this in another thread. If it weren't for the XBOX and its hardware superiority, certain games such as KOTOR (which sold quite a few XBOX units) wouldn't have been exclusive to the XBOX. I guess I feel this way because Bioware has been sort of playing the field lately...exclaiming how they want to reach "as many gamers as possible" and expand...la di da...simply meaning that they intend to bring their titles to PS3 (because now Sony hardware can support their visions. Same with Tecmo...Now why wouldn't they? You think these companies are brand loyal to the 2nd place console? Gah, I've got 80 Million behind me on the Playstation brand but I think I'll go with MS for my killer game. No sir...

 

[DubOSv10]

You will defitnly have to get both systems to get the best the gen has to offer. Xbox will have a ton of exclusives this time around. They have 4 Studios that I know are only publishing games for there console. That being Bungie, Tecmo, Rare & Lionhead. This is some great developer talent in MS's camp. There Japanese Developer support has greatly increased seeing how many titles are coming to the 360 down the road. It is also a console that will attract both the casual gamer & the retro gamer with there Xbox Live Arcade selection of titles. Plenty of big name Arcade Classics coming very soon. There heading in the right direction.

On the PS end, it will probally end up being more of the same that has kept them on the top. A newer media type & an online service seem to be the standout features for them,. A plentyful supply of Japanese ports & multiplatform titles will be the same. There grip on certain developers will decrease. SE being the big one so it will be intresting to see what titles the Xbox 360 & Nintendo Wii end up with. If your into the whole RPG thing, then it will probally be your system of choice. They have taken a page out of the MS strategy & have been getting there fair share of FPS'ers as well. Just like how MS has taken a page from Sony & starting to get a lot of RPG games. Sony RPG's havn't been all that great as of late however. SE ones remain good, but other ones have not. Oblivion alone has already outsold many of them, just like how Fable & KOTOR I/II did before it. So MS deifntly got some gooed games going in that department.

I wouldn't choose a side. I still get both, but I am sure to be much more impressed with the Xbox 360. MS has learned quickly & alot with there original console & have taken a strong approach with there current system. Making it developer friendly & an ease to work with should attract a ton of attention from developers. Something that can play in therefavor in the long run. The PS3 will be good, but I also expect more of the same from them. I'll still consider the PS1 there best system most likly. As good as the PS2 was, there was no standout titles like what the PS1 had. Gods of War, the Devil May Cry series, that was good & all, but I had a much better time play games like Parasite Eve & Final Fantasy Tactics.

-LatinLegacy

Bungie, Rare and Lionhead have all been acquired by Microsoft...but do not get your facts twisted, Tecmo has no been acquired by MS. Actually Tecmo has developed quite a few games for PS2 (Rygar, The Monster Rancher Series, DOA2 and a couple I cannot think of right now)...my point is that Tecmo provided Ninja Gaiden and DOA exclusively to the XBOX...This goes back to my hardware point . So I just want to clear that up, Tecmo isn't Microsoft exclusive and probably never will be...Do you notice a trend in the companies Microsoft acquired? They are all based in the Western Hemisphere...Lionhead and Rare are out of the UK, Bungie out of the US...Japanese developers would be a bit weary of being MS exclusive as the XBOX can barely sell in Japan .

By the way, I think your post is suggesting that Sony will put out more of that same but MS will not...I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at. I also don't know what "developer friendly" means...Developers enjoy sales...however difficult you believe the PS3 is to develop for...those hurdles will be overcome when there is profit to be made.

 

[Lord Nassirbannipal]

I addressed this in another thread...How nice of MS and Square to release FFXI two years later with no notable upgrades...AWESOME! If they announced a spectacular showing of Final Fantasy XII well then I'll be impressed with Square/Enix developing for the 360...So far I've seen Project Slyph .

I agree with you here. When it comes to Final Fantasy, I think I'll stick to Sony.

I mean you can say it doesn't...but games such as KOTOR, Jade Empire, Ninja Gaiden and DOA seem to paint a different picture. I'm not saying that Halo and Live didn't contribute to the success (I guess) of the XBOX, I have addressed this in another thread. If it weren't for the XBOX and its hardware superiority, certain games such as KOTOR (which sold quite a few XBOX units) wouldn't have been exclusive to the XBOX. I guess I feel this way because Bioware has been sort of playing the field lately...exclaiming how they want to reach "as many gamers as possible" and expand...la di da...simply meaning that they intend to bring their titles to PS3 (because now Sony hardware can support their visions. Same with Tecmo...Now why wouldn't they? You think these companies are brand loyal to the 2nd place console? Gah, I've got 80 Million behind me on the Playstation brand but I think I'll go with MS for my killer game. No sir...

Brand loyal? No.

As far as those titles go, you've probably got me there, but the fact remains that the majority of the developers chose to stick with the console that had the weakest hardware.

 

[Filter]

I work at Circuit City and we've been getting shipments in weekly. We have around 5 premiums and 10 cores that people haven't touched for around a month..

who really goes to circuit city anyway. j/k

i do alot of traveling for work and i usually stop by best buy or an eb games/gamespot and i never see any on the shelves.

so i guess just cause your store has them means everywhere is stocked. i guess you better call MS and let them know they wont need to increase those shipments they were talking about.

 

[DubOSv10]

Brand loyal? No.

As far as those titles go, you've probably got me there, but the fact remains that the majority of the developers chose to stick with the console that had the weakest hardware.

Right, well that's the $$$...but my point is with those titles, companies realized that they could not do what they wanted to do as far as the Playstations hardware was concerned...so they focused on the XBOX. That was a clear advantage of the XBOX. Now as I stated earlier, I might not feel this way if Bioware and Tecmo weren't playing that whole "well, we're keeping our options open" game...but they are and that is a sure sign of developing for other consoles. Bioware (makers of KOTOR and Jade Empire) doesn't see it as gaining a MS fanbase and making such and such amount of money, they see it as losing so many millions of dollars by not being able to develop for the Playstation line of consoles. Now Halo sold a lot of systems, but KOTOR sold a goddamn lot as well...that's my point. Hardware made the difference.

 

[Erasmus354]

Right, well that's the $$$...but my point is with those titles, companies realized that they could not do what they wanted to do as far as the Playstations hardware was concerned...so they focused on the XBOX. That was a clear advantage of the XBOX. Now as I stated earlier, I might not feel this way if Bioware and Tecmo weren't playing that whole "well, we're keeping our options open" game...but they are and that is a sure sign of developing for other consoles. Bioware (makers of KOTOR and Jade Empire) doesn't see it as gaining a MS fanbase and making such and such amount of money, they see it as losing so many millions of dollars by not being able to develop for the Playstation line of consoles. Now Halo sold a lot of systems, but KOTOR sold a goddamn lot as well...that's my point. Hardware made the difference.

The hardware argument doesn't parallel well to the current gen. The Xbox was more powerful than the PS2 and also less complex than the PS2. There are some great looking games for PS2 but they took a lot of effort to make them look that good. Making games for the Xbox was significantly easier because it had much more standard hardware.

The 360 and PS3 are pretty close in power, the PS3 has a bit of an edge. However unlike last gen, the weaker console appears to be the easier one to program for. Therefore it wont be quite the same situation as it was for the last gen of hardware.

 

[DubOSv10]

The hardware argument doesn't parallel well to the current gen. The Xbox was more powerful than the PS2 and also less complex than the PS2. There are some great looking games for PS2 but they took a lot of effort to make them look that good. Making games for the Xbox was significantly easier because it had much more standard hardware.

The 360 and PS3 are pretty close in power, the PS3 has a bit of an edge. However unlike last gen, the weaker console appears to be the easier one to program for. Therefore it wont be quite the same situation as it was for the last gen of hardware.

Damn, someone got it...That's exactly my point...the XBOX is losing that edge (which whether anyone wants to admit it or not was an edge). It doesn't parallel well because...the gap has been closed. One of the reasons the XBOX was able to make a dent was because of games like KOTOR and DOA (lets remember that DOA2 was on the Playstation 2, suggesting that Tecmo only made the switch once the graphical prowless of the XBOX was evident).

Yes, I'm happy that people get it now!

 

[Erasmus354]

Damn, someone got it...That's exactly my point...the XBOX is losing that edge (which whether anyone wants to admit it or not was an edge). It doesn't parallel well because...the gap has been closed. One of the reasons the XBOX was able to make a dent was because of games like KOTOR and DOA (lets remember that DOA2 was on the Playstation 2, suggesting that Tecmo only made the switch once the graphical prowless of the XBOX was evident).

Yes, I'm happy that people get it now!

I dont think you got my point. Just because the PS3 is slightly more powerful doesn't mean devs will move to the PS3 to do their projects. The reason being the power of the PS3 is harder to utilize than the 360.

 

[DubOSv10]

I dont think you got my point. Just because the PS3 is slightly more powerful doesn't mean devs will move to the PS3 to do their projects. The reason being the power of the PS3 is harder to utilize than the 360.

I'm not buying that achieving the same power as the 360 is so much more difficult on the PS3...But I suppose if it is...$$$ will always sway the doubters. I'm not saying the developers will move to the PS3, I'm saying they will most likely release games on both platforms.

 

[DarkLegacy]

I dont think you got my point. Just because the PS3 is slightly more powerful doesn't mean devs will move to the PS3 to do their projects. The reason being the power of the PS3 is harder to utilize than the 360.

There ya go, hit it right on the nail. They'll also have to prove that the BD Media is indeed a step up for developers & for gaming in genreal for the upcoming Gen. I mean, with the exception of RPG games that would surly benefit with the extra space, will it really make that much of a difference when it comes to gaming soly? I still feel DVD 9's are more than capable of holding plenty of content as seen "so far" with complete sports titles & with Oblivion which does have alot of content. I almost feel the BD Drive was only slapped in to be an attempt to drive Blu Ray Media Sales. It will defintly be the case if DVD 9's are able to hold just as much content as the BD Disc can in the upcoming years. Espcially when it comes to multiplatform titles. Things will get very intresting down the road for both companies.

-LatinLegacy

 

[DubOSv10]

There ya go, hit it right on the nail. They'll also have to prove that the BD Media is indeed a step up for developers & for gaming in genreal for the upcoming Gen. I mean, with the exception of RPG games that would surly benefit with the extra space, will it really make that much of a difference when it comes to gaming soly? I still feel DVD 9's are more than capable of holding plenty of content as seen "so far" with complete sports titles & with Oblivion which does have alot of content. I almost feel the BD Drive was only slapped in to be an attempt to drive Blu Ray Media Sales. It will defintly be the case if DVD 9's are able to hold just as much content as the BD Disc can in the upcoming years. Espcially when it comes to multiplatform titles. Things will get very intresting down the road for both companies.

-LatinLegacy

If the Blu-Ray isn't used for games it is the developers fault. See developers have this deal where they love to blame console manufactures for lackluster games...the gap is being lessoned.

Also normally future proofing hardware (especially in gaming where the console lasts for five years) is a good thing. I suppose everyone always has to criticize...but it's always interesting how these things go...It's acceptable for maybe PC hardware, but not for gaming hardware (as evident on these forums)...normally people criticize companies trying to milk the most money out of the consumer (say by releasing add-ons, etc), now it is the other way around. Interesting.

 

[palindrome]

Japan overestimated? FF7 not greatly enjoyed? Are you kidding me?

Japan is the second-largest gaming market. No way a company wins the console wars without dominance in the Japanese market. Then you bring up China and Korea? Now those are two markets that certainly don't matter due to the fact that most of the people don't have the money to spend on consoles that cost hundreds of dollars, let alone the games.

FF7 is considered the best of the FF series, and it played a huge role in the Playstation's destruction of the N64 due to the fact that it was exclusive to the former.

Keyword i said was "in the future." Many chinese families are reaching the point where they can start to afford luxuries. You tell me a country with 1.4billion people isn't worth the effort. The amount of online gamers in china is expected to reach 65 million by 2010. I guarantee you, by the next gen after this, japan will no longer be as important as it is today.

 

[DubOSv10]

Keyword i said was "in the future." Many chinese families are reaching the point where they can start to afford luxuries. You tell me a country with 1.4billion people isn't worth the effort. The amount of online gamers in china is expected to reach 65 million by 2010. I guarantee you, by the next gen after this, japan will no longer be as important as it is today.

Hrmm, there is also the assumption that the Chinese are going to support Microsofts XBOX to spite the Japanese which is just terrible. I believe they disregard America just as much as Japan my friend. Japan will always be important, so long as so many companies are based out of Japan (Konami, Sony, Square, Nintendo, Sega, etc)...even if the number of Chinese and Korean gamers increase those companies aren't going to up and relocate meaning that Japan will still have quite an influence on the gaming market.

 

[Kahnvex]

Well shit, its been a while since one of these threads popped up for everyone to argue about an established system being dominated by a non-existant system without a release date.

The way half of you make it sound, I should throw my 360 in the garbage because the fun I'm having with it now will be so totally eclipsed by the awesomeness of the Sony console that I will be ashamed I ever owned it.

Games Games Games. One system has games I want, two more are coming out that have games that I will want that won't be available elsewhere. Whatever shall I do?

I guess I could just own all three, and not give a shit about who has what exclusive because I'll be able to play them all.

Why does something always have to be the best? Can't we just like what we like and get whichever system(s) float our boats?

I don't give a shit if the PS3 cures AIDS, until it debuts it's all just talk.

 

[Killdozer]

The reason being the power of the PS3 is harder to utilize than the 360.

The same could be said for the PSX and the same could be said for the PS2 and we all know which consoles won those wars.

 

[DarkLegacy]

The same could be said for the PSX and the same could be said for the PS2 and we all know which consoles won those wars.

Well seeing how much of a grip that hard on the market prior to the xbox being released, then yeah, you can say that. You defintly have to admit that has changed over the few years. it doesn't take a pie graph to see MS took a nice chunk out of em =).

-DarkLegacy

 

[Abyss of Borg]

MS isn't at all screwed. Can I go to the store now and buy a PS3? No. Can I go to the store now and buy a 360? Yes. Plus there are tons of Xbox and Halo !!!!!!s. The average consumer doesn't care about the slightly higher graphics power. So that will be a poor selling point. The PS2 is the weakest in specs but the highest selling system of the last generation. We don't even know what the PS3 controller will look like yet you can already feel and play a 360 one in your hands. The 360 is already out who wants to wait. The market isn't going to wait for Sony. MS is getting their system out into consumer hands. If the Wii does what the DS has done to the Japanese market with the totally original style of control and gameplay then Nintendo could have Japan maybe even before the PS3 is released lol. $400 is not realistic anyways. You'll have to pay a $1,000 to get one if there are shortages and the bluray drive is sure to cause one or any part that isn't being made in enough quanity. Plus hardware is nothing without great software.

 

[OutOfGum]

I actually think the opposite. If Sony releases the PS3 at $399, they are screwed. What will happens is that they will be under-cutting all other blu-ray players out there (by quite a bit). This means that a lot of non-gamers will start buying the system SOLEY to watch movies on. Game consoles depend on games, and if they have one, an online service, to turn a profit. There cannot be much profit in movies because: 1. prices will stay low to compete with HD-DVD, 2. Sony is only one of around 20 companies that are backing blu-ray so royalty payments will be very small.

While this MAY allow Sony to win the format war, while this is an important victory for them, it doesn't make a huge difference financially. They did not develop the technology on thier own, they aren't even the principal developer, they are one of several principal developers. In the meantime they will have perhaps millions of consoles sold at a loss with no foreseeable income stream to make up for that loss.

Since no one knows how much the PS3 costs to make, lets take a somewhat middle of the road figure of 700 (Meryl Lynch estimated 800-900). This represents a 300 loss per console. So they lose $300,000,000 per every million consoles sold. Lets say they don't have supply problems like the 360 did and they have 5 million consoles for sale when it goes live. This represents a 1.5 BILLION dollar loss. This has to be made up in the future. If a large number of these sales are for movie watchers, then there is a large chunk that may never be made up. Of course the amount lost could be lower... it could also be higher. The loss on 5 million consoles sold will probably fall within the 1-2 billion dollar range. That's gotta sting. The nice thing about the 360 for MS is that they know that everyone that's buying the console is buying it for the games, and many of them are signing up for XBL.

 

[Erasmus354]

I think Sony would be ecstatic if they got 5 million PS3's out there by the end of the year. If only because that will go a long way towards winning the format war. HD-DVD / Bluray could conceivably be the last format we see for the next ten years at least if not longer. The royalties Sony would collect from Bluray over 10 years would far outweigh the losses on the first couple million PS3's.

 

[shaun]

Quite frankly, I would be suprised if the PS3 was more than $499 USD. I think that at that price it will sell fine.

A lot of places I've read info on the PS3 say it's as good as if not better than the XBox360, and really, both will be better than Wii. *snicker*

Regardless of the price, it will sell out at launch, just like the XBox360 did, and people said ZOMG $399 IS TOO MUCH for the 360's launch, and it sold out like mad.

Face it, you're all gamers. Most of you will buy the PS3 if you can afford it, regardless of how much Sony prices it for.

Microsoft made a ballsy move going for the $399 price mark, but it worked. If Sony dumps at $499, it wil be ballsy again, but, alas, will still sell.

 

[DubOSv10]

MS isn't at all screwed. Can I go to the store now and buy a PS3? No. Can I go to the store now and buy a 360? Yes. Plus there are tons of Xbox and Halo !!!!!!s. The average consumer doesn't care about the slightly higher graphics power. So that will be a poor selling point. The PS2 is the weakest in specs but the highest selling system of the last generation. We don't even know what the PS3 controller will look like yet you can already feel and play a 360 one in your hands. The 360 is already out who wants to wait. The market isn't going to wait for Sony. MS is getting their system out into consumer hands. If the Wii does what the DS has done to the Japanese market with the totally original style of control and gameplay then Nintendo could have Japan maybe even before the PS3 is released lol. $400 is not realistic anyways. You'll have to pay a $1,000 to get one if there are shortages and the bluray drive is sure to cause one or any part that isn't being made in enough quanity. Plus hardware is nothing without great software.

This thread has turned into gibberish...You need to realize that a consoles lifespan is 5 years...not 1. Meaning that even if Microsoft were to sell 10 million units by the end of 2005, there are still 90,000,000 more units to be sold. Playstation 2 I believe hit the 100,000,000 mark some time ago. MS is getting their system into consumer hands...barely. Thanks for pointing out Hardware is nothing without great software...that's the point...that's why Sony has dominated and will continue to do so.

And I'm completely convinced that OutofGum has no idea how Console sales work...or really the videogame industry at large...Hell...quite a few industries one could say. Read this before you post please:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Razor_and_blades_business_model

Also, your argument assumes that those in the market for a Blu-Ray player aren't in the market for the Playstation 3. This logic makes no sense, I'm not sure which consumer hops on the Blu-Ray bandwagon (while DVD is currently doing pretty well) yet doesn't like the Playstation 3. Formats like Blu-Ray and HD-DVD in their early stages appeal to those who take Home Entertainment seriously...most of those that take Home Entertainment seriously own a videogame console on top of a DVD player. I guess my point is, I cannot in the next couple of years, foresee an audience embracing Blu-Ray over videogames, but I can see them buying the PS3 for the games while knowing that in a few years, Blu-Ray will most likely be a standard format. No one is going to buy a PS3 JUST for Blu-Ray...they are buying it for the games. The gaming industry is surpassing the movie industry...keep up with the times.

I'm trying to understand your logic...but meh.

 

[shaun]

This thread has turned into gibberish...You need to realize that a consoles lifespan is 5 years...not 1. Meaning that even if Microsoft were to sell 10 million units by the end of 2005, there are still 90,000,000 more units to be sold. Playstation 2 I believe hit the 100,000,000 mark some time ago. MS is getting their system into consumer hands...barely. Thanks for pointing out Hardware is nothing without great software...that's the point...that's why Sony has dominated and will continue to do so.

gg

 

[Rash]

Also, the fact that the controllers are bluetooth means nothing except more cost for the consumer and decreased range (not that that matters cause its still enough, but its still a fact nevertheless). The xbox's rf method is more than adequate.

Erm i think bluetooth can reach a lot further than the rf method the 360 uses, i can control my pcs music with my bletooth media remote anywhere in my large house and even outside in the garden, which is a real plus when i start using my ps3 as a media center aswell, plus your going to be able to connect a lot more stuff wirelessly to your ps3 (Phones, PDAs, Remotes, Controllers, headsets, Cameras etc) I welcome the bluetooth on the ps3 with wide open arms my friend! What can you connect via wifi to the 360 apart from there own rip off equipment and pcs (which cant do much at all with the 360 and the only thing that does have its benefits is linking a media center enabled pc? Not Much yet.

So Basically Bluetooth is a HUGE PLUS, even better if its bluetooth 2.0!!